Philip s



(No Model.)

P. S, DUSENBURY.

RAILROAD FROG AND SWITCH UARD. No.- 294,598. Patented Mar. 4, 1884'.

WITNESSES: F3 2 INVENTOR, Y .D

ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PHILIP s. DUSENBURY, or SEDALIA, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF TO w. z. BAUM AND A. HLRANDALL, BOTH or SAME PLACE.

RAILROAD FROG A ND SWIT CH GUARDL -SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 294,598, dated March 4, 1884.

Application filed April 4, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be' it known that I, PHILIP S. DUsENBURY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sedalia, in the county of Pettis and State of Missouri, have invented certain new'and useful Improvements in Railroad Frog and Switch Guards; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to safety devices for railroad frogs and crossings; and it consists, essentially, in a yielding metallic plate placed between the rails or in the angle of the frog, said plate extending entirely across the space between the rails, and either flush with the the frog at one end, and having its free end resting on a shoulder of the yielding plate.

The details of construction and operation of the several parts will be hereinafter more fully described, and pointed out in the accompanying drawings, in which Figures 1 and 4 are perspective views of my device, and Figs. 2, 3, 5, longitudinal sections'.

The object of my device is to provide a guard for railway-frogs, switch-crossings, &c., that will prevent railway-employs from getting their feet caught in said frogs, and thus prevent the accidents of this character which so frequently occur, and are accompanied with the loss of life and limbs.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the rails A,which compose the frogs, and

which may be open or conical-shaped, have placed between them a metallic plate, B, resting on a curved spring, 0, either on the ends of said spring, as shown at Fig. 2, or the convex surface, when the spring is inverted, as

frog, I secure to the bed E by boltb a metallic I strap, D, the free end of which rests ona shoulder, a, of the plate B, provided with the longitudinal flanges d, curved to fit-the under inside part of the top of the rail. Others prevent the plate B'from projecting above'the rails. This prevents the brakeman or employs from striking the foot between the rails, and at the same time gives a gradual rise for the car-wheel. The dotted lines in Fig. 2 show the position of the parts B O D when a car-wheel is passing over the plate. These guards are especially useful at all crossings and switches, and, being simple in construction and easily placed in position, are a convenient and ready means for preventing accidents beforereferred to.

I am aware that iron plates or fenders have been used at railway-crossings, one extremity of the fender being bent downward to facilitate the passing of the car-wheels, the opposite end.

having a hinge-connection to a strap secured to'the plank crossing. I am also aware of a railroad-frog in the top of which are seated two guards, which jointly cover the spacebetween.

the railseach guard having depending arms bearing upon a springthe ends of the arms being keyed transversely through the frog. I am further aware of a safety device for railway-crossings in which there is a metal guard placed between therails andits ends bent down,

and having underneath it at the ends, and secured thereto, two springs. I am further aware that safety-plates for railroad-switches have been used, in which plates are placed between the switch-rails and frogs,'said plates having downwardprojecting brackets, to which are hinged rods extending into boxes underneath the rails, and resting on coiled springs in said boxes. Such forms of construction I do not claim.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, 1s---- 1. In a guard for railway-crossings and cured at one end to thebed-plate, the opposite switch-frogs the strap D and the plate 13, end resting on ashoulder of plate 13, substanprovided with shouldered ends and longituditially as and for the purpose set forth. nal flanges (2, said plate being placed between In testimony whereof I have affixed my sig- 5 the rails and supported by a spring, O, subnature in presence of two Witnesses.

stantially as and for the purpose set forth. T r 2. In a guard for railway crossings and PHILIP DUSELBURX' switches, the c0111bination,with the plate hav- Vitnesses: ing the end shoulders, a, and longitudinal Var. H. Ross, 10 flanges d, of the spring 0 and the strap D, se- T. M. LITTLE. 

